How Not to Be a Boy

Last night I was watching the latest episode of Strike, a TV show based on the series of crime novels by Robert Galbraith (who is actually a pseudonym for Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling).  It's been a really good show so far.  This is the fourth episode and the second book to be adapted.

It was busy at work.  I was trying to arrange for some books to be collected and sent on someplace else, which is apparently a lot more difficult than you might think.

I had some pizza when I got home, which was nice.

I read the book How Not to Be a Boy by Robert Webb, who is a British comedian, actor and writer, best known as one half of comedy duo "Mitchell and Webb", alongside David Mitchell, and co-star of long-running sitcom Peep Show. This book is his account of growing up in rural England during the 1980s and 90s, his start in comedy, and also his take on the traditional "rules" of how to be a man or boy, and gender norms, and whether they are any good for anyone. It's a thought-provoking book, and also very, very funny and often genuinely moving.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Last night I was watching the first of a two part documentary called The Scandalous Adventures of Lord Byron hosted by actor Rupert Everett, in which he followed the footsteps of the legendary poet through Europe. It was pretty interesting and entertaining. Later on I watched an episode of The Wire.

I got to work early this morning, and managed to leave pretty early. I went along to the Cineworld cinema to meet up with my Mum. We were there to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, directed by David Yates. It's the sixth in the series of films adapted from the popular novels by JK Rowling about a teenage wizard studying magic and fighting evil forces. The film is pretty faithful to the book, and hugely entertaining.

After the movie I went along to my parent's house for something to eat, before heading back home.

Order of the Phoenix

Last night I was watching the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is the fifth of the movies based on the Harry Potter series of books by JK Rowling. I actually really do like the books, and the films. They are really entertaining. I was kind of put off reading the books for quite a long time because they were children's books, but they do appeal to all ages. The sixth one is in the cinemas at the moment. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm thinking about seeing it tomorrow.

I got into work really early today, at about quarter past eight, which meant that I managed to leave early, so that was really good (our work operates on a flexitime system). When I got home I had a microwave chicken chow-mein meal, which was really nice.

I've been reading the non-fiction book Public Enemies by Bryan Burrough recently. It was adapted into the film of the same name starring Johnny Depp. The film is different to the book, in that the film concerns itself almost entirely with John Dillinger, whereas the book discusses a whole range of the American gangsters and bank-robbers who were active between 1933 and 1934.

Some Books

Last night I was listening to an episode of a radio show called Fear on Four. The episode was "The Judge's House", based on a short story by Dracula author Bram Stoker. The story involves a student who rents a house which a couple of hudred years ago had been owned by a sadistic judge. He soon finds out that the house contains far worse things than rats. Horror can work really well on radio, I think, and this was a pretty effective story.

Today I had planned to go up to the cinema to see the film Grindhouse, but the only screening was completely sold out and so I went and had a look at the shops instead. I bought some books in a three for two offer: Darkmans by Nicola Barker (which is the next choice for the book group at the end of May), The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Afterwards I went and had a mocha coffee and a chocolate muffin.

This evening I was watching The Galaxy British Book Awards. It was pretty interesting. JK Rowling got a special achievement award.

Books and DVDs

Last night I watched a couple of episodes of Torchwood on TV. It's almost finished now, and they've suddenly changed the day it's on from Wednesday to Friday. It will also be a couple of weeks until the next episode. I was also watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, directed by David Yates and based on the novel by JK Rowling. It's the fifth in the series, and I think it's probably not the best of them to start off with if you've never seen any of the other films, or read the books. It is a good film, and a lot darker in tone than the previous ones.

This morning I went up to the post office to post a letter to my friend Allison in New York. Then I went along to the shops and exchanged my DVD copy of Peep Show Season One. Then I went along and bought some books in a three for two offer: Death of a Murderer by Rupert Thomson (which is the next book for the book group), No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy and Oil! by Upton Sinclair (which was adapted into the film There Will be Blood). After that I met my mum to sort something out at the building society. When we had finished there we went to get some lunch at Ryans Bar (I had tomato and lentil soup with chicken, bacon and mayonnaise sandwiches, and a glass of coke). On my way home I picked up some groceries for the week.

I'm going out this evening as well, actually, to a restaurant with some friends, so that should be good.

A Friday Off

Last night I was watching a couple of TV shows over the On Demand service. I saw That Mitchell and Webb Look, which I thought was funny, and Wednesday's episode of Torchwood, which was pretty good about ghosts from an old piece of film coming to life to steal people's life-force.

I was off work today, which was fun. It meant I managed to have a nice lie in bed and listen to the radio. I went out to the shops and bought a bunch of DVDs in the sales. I bought the first three seasons of Peep Show, which is a very funny TV show about a couple of complete losers who share a flat, the twist being that slmost the whole show is filmed from the point of view of the characters and the inner thoughts of the two main characters are described in voice over. I also got the second season of Extras, which was another really funny series, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. When I got home, however, and put one of the Peep Show DVDs on, it didn't work, so I'll try and get that replaced tomorrow.

There was a beetle or something climbing up a wall in my kitchen. I managed to get rid of it, with a bit of difficulty, because I had to climb over some cabinets.

GameCube

I was only in for a half day today at work, so that was good. I also bought Joe's GameCube console for £25. He also included three Resident Evil games (Resident Evil, Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 0).

As soon as I brought it home I had to go out again to fix my bank card. Apparently it has been unlocked now, but I can't use it for twenty four hours. I also bought a few second-hand games, very cheaply, for the GameCube. I got Batman Begins, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Spider-Man and The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, so I've got a nice selection to start off with.Everything really seems to work okay, so that's good. I've always enjoyed computer games, but was always put off by the cost for consoles, but the GameCube seems to be a good machine, and you can get really good games, fairly cheaply (albeit second-hand).

My brother came up from London a couple of days ago with his new girlfriend. I should be seeing them tomorrow.

Terror of the Zygons

Last night I was watching the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a 2004 film directed by Alfonso Cuaron and based on the J.K. Rowling novel. I'd seen it before, but it was a lot of fun. I also watched a 1975 Doctor Who story on TV called "The Terror of the Zygons". The story involves the fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) summoned to the Highlands of Scotland to investigate the mysterious wrecking of oil rigs in the North Sea. It turns out that the thing responsible for the sinkings is none other than the legendary Loch Ness Monster, which is discovered to be a cybernetic creature called a Skarasen which is owned an operated by a race of creatures called the Zygons which live in a spaceship underneath Loch Ness and intend to use the Skarasen in their bid to take over the world. It wasn't a bad story, even if the Loch Ness Monster looks more like something given away free in a cereal box.

Today I went out to my parent's house for lunch as usual. As it was Burns' Night on Friday we had haggis (which was very nice), with mashed potato and a glass of whiskey. After that I went to a nearby supermarket with my mum where I got a book called The Good Guy by Dean Koontz and the latest issue of Uncut magazine which featured a free CD of musicians who influenced Bob Dylan.

A Very Quiet Day

There's not really much to write about today. Yesterday evening was very quiet and I just stayed in and read. I had planned to go out today to meet a friend of mine but she called it off because she was ill, so I just stayed at home and read. I have now finished the sixth of the Harry Potter books (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). I really enjoyed this one, and I'm very much looking forward to reading the seventh book.

Reading

Last night I finished reading the fifth of the Harry Potter books (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling) which I really enjoyed although I did find it quite slow compared to the other books in the series that I've read so far.

I went to my parent's house for lunch today, instead of the usual Sunday. The reason for this is because my dad is playing golf tomorrow. Usually he plays golf on Saturday afternoons, although today he was kept busy by repairing the guttering around my parent's garage. As usual, when I come on a Saturday, my mum took me to get my groceries for lunch, which meant that I could get more food, including a pack of sushi for my lunch. Aside form a brief period where I was helping my dad by supporting some of the new guttering, I spent most of the time reading my book in the small construction in the garden. We had to time my departure quite carefully because there were two big football (soccer) matches happening today and I wanted to get back after one started and before the other ended.

Monday

I finished reading the fourth of the Harry Potter books last night (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) which I really enjoyed. I stayed up pretty late finishing it. I've been very pleasantly surprised by the series, actually. I've enjoyed them far more than I had initially expected.

Work was extremely dull as usual. I had to go to a training session that lasted for about an hour and a half, and was amazingly tedious.

Books

After work last night I met up with Michele at Le Monde for a drink (we had originally intended meeting at my place, but I really hadn't had a chance to tidy the place up for the past couple of weeks, what with being away a couple of weeks ago and being ill last weekend). After our drink we went to Pizza Hut for something to eat and then went to a bar I'd never been before called The Dome, which was a very nice and very elegant looking place inside. Michele had a cocktail of some type there while I had a beer. The we went to another place I had never been before, a small Italian style cafe, where we were the only customers. It was a very nice evening. We seperated at around half past ten, and as I walked towards the bus stop on my way home I noticed a long queue snaking around the block, which turned out to be people waiting at a bookshop, which was having a special midnight opening because of the publication of the new Harry Potter book. When I got home I finished reading the third in the series (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) which I really enjoyed. I have been really enjoyig the books.

This morning I went up and went into Princes Street, to get the seventh book in the series which was just released. I looked everywhere, in about four different bookstores but almost all of them seemed to have sold out in the first morning, but I did manage to get the book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling) and I also picked up another new book called Lisey's Story by Stephen King which was being sold for £3.49.

Thursday

Last night was quiet again. I read the second of the Harry Potter books (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), which I really enjoyed. I'd seen the film adaptation a few years ago and can't really remember much about it.

Work was more or less the same as usual. In that it was pretty dull. There weren't many people in at all today, for some reason.

Wednesday

Last night was very quiet. I read the first of the Harry Potter books (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling), and I really enjoyed it. I'd seen the film a couple of times before and the film followed the book extremely closely.

Work was very dull today, more or less the same as usual, really.

Tuesday

I was feeling a lot better yesterday and went into work.

After work I went out with Joe and Alan for a bit and we saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the cinema. Alan and Joe are both huge Harry Potter fans. So is Michele, actually. I myself have finally gone and got the books in the sales. I'm reading them from the first one and actually they are very entertaining so far.